Sourcebook 2015

Sourcebook 2015
The Stained Glass Association of America
Safety Standards
for Architectural Glazing Materials
The Consumer Product Safety Commission maintains stringent guidelines for safety
in building components. As 10 centuries of use has shown, there are no unusual inherent
or unnecessary risks in the use of architectural stained glass.
This fact prompted the Consumer Product Safety Commission to adopt guidelines
almost 30 years ago that address stained glass directly. For the convenience of those considering
the commissioning of stained glass, these guidelines are reproduced below. The
Summary below is reproduced verbatim; the Supplementary Information has been edited
slightly to aid readability.
Title 16 – Commercial Practices
CHAPTER II
Consumer Product Safety Commission
PART 1201 - Safety Standard for Architectural Glazing Materials
Amendment to Standard Exempting Certain Decorative Glazing Materials
AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.
ACTION: Final amendment to rule.
SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission amends the Safety Standard for
Architectural Glazing Materials to exempt from its coverage carved glass, dalle glass and
leaded glass, if those materials are incorporated into doors or glazed panels covered by
the standard for decorative or artistic purposes. The exemption is issued because these
glazing materials have an aesthetic and artistic value but are unable to meet the requirements
of the standard; acceptable substitute glazing is not available; and any risk of injury
is mitigated by the visibility of the glass. The Commission in this document also lifts the
stay of the standard it issued for faceted, patinaed, and leaded glass, which has been in
effect pending action on this amendment.
DATES: The exemption for carved glass, dalle glass, and leaded glass incorporated
into doors or glazed panels covered by the standard for decorative or artistic purposes is
effective on December 2, 1978. The stay of the standard for faceted glass and leaded glass
is lifted effective December 2, 1978. The stay of the standard for “patinaed glass” is lifted
effective January 9, 1979.
For further information contact:
Directorate of Compliance and Enforcement
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Washington, DC 20207
(301) 492-6629
Supplementary Information: On
January 6, 1977, the Consumer Product
Safety Commission issued the Safety
Standard for Architectural Glazing
Materials to eliminate or reduce unreasonable
risks of injury associated with architectural
glazing materials and products
incorporating those materials (42 FR 1428)
(16 CFR 1201). The standard prescribes
tests to insure that glazing materials used
in certain architectural products either do
not break when impacted with a specified
energy, or break with such characteristics
that they are less likely to present an unreasonable
risk of injury. The standard
became effective on July 6, 1977.
Provisions of #1201.1(c) of the standard,
as issued on January 6, 1977, exempted
six Items of glazing materials from its
requirements. The only decorative glazing
materials exempted by #1201.1(c) were:
“Leaded glass panels where no individual
piece of glass has an area greater than 30
square inches.”
The term “leaded glass” is defined in
the standard at #1201.2(a) (14) to mean: “a
decorative composite glazing material
made of individual pieces of glass whose
circumference is enclosed by lengths of
durable metal such as lead or zinc and the
pieces of glass are completely held together
and supported by such metal.”
On April 20, 1977, the Stained Glass
Association of America (SGAA), petitioned
the Commission under section 10 of
the Consumer Product Safety Act (15
U.S.C. 2059) to amend the standard to
exempt other decorative glazing materials.
The petition was designated CP 77–12.
On June 21, 1977, SGAA requested the
Commission to stay the standard as it
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